Post by Diarist on Dec 26, 2016 2:42:08 GMT 1
Just after 7 o'clock I received a telephone call from Edward. King Leopold will be visiting TRADOC HQ in less than an hour. Lord Gort has already been informed. "Sally, Mum put on something pretty. You are about to meet the King of Belgium." Half an hour, a record time for the ladies, we walked to Audley End House, the home of TRADOC. Mum has never been there so it's a small outing for her. Lord and Lady Gort were already there so we waited together for our visitors. John Gort gave the King a 15 minute presentation including our FTX planning room.
"That's how we capture Fort Eben-Emael within 15 minutes. We land on the roof and use more airborne troops to capture the three nearby bridges. Then we hold out until the armoured spearhead links up. You have no defences at the moment, Your Majesty."
"I presume you also have a defence plan."
"Indeed we do. We seemingly do nothing but at night we turn it into a death trap for any attacking force. Let them believe it's still undefended and their airborne spearhead will be annihilated which in turn would severely upset their strategy. We also have plans for the bridges."
"Do you share their view, General van Overstraeten?"
"I do, Your Majesty. The fort is wide open to an attack."
"Then I'll expect you to remedy that when you return. I've seen enough General Gort. Now where is this club of yours? I wish to buy the first round. Madame Stella, may I offer you a ride in my limousine? I presume you know the way." I'll have to have a chat with my Mum. First Wilhelm Canaris and now King Leopold. When we arrived at the hotel they weren't there. I found out later that Mum had suggested they park the limousine at our house then she invited the group in for a cup of tea. They finally arrived and the King was smiling. "Your mother is quite a lady and she is very proud of you. So which beer do you recommend?"
"My favourite is White Shield. I'm sure you'll appreciate it, Sir." We stayed a while in the saloon bar then retired to the private restaurant reserved for hotel guests only. Many of our TRADOC personnel had travelled home for the Christmas holidays so only a couple of people were present.
"I believe it was a very constructive weekend, Your Majesty. Do you share that view?" John Gort asked.
"I do and to be honest I didn't realize how advanced your plans are."
"We've had some difficulties convincing others that Hitler can be toppled without a shot being fired. There are many people in Britain who don't want to risk an all-out war with Germany."
"We have managed to allay those fears though," I added. "Even if fighting were to break out it wouldn't be a repetition of the last war."
"Germany's fate is sealed if they are foolish enough to break the Locarno Treaties."
"But then the difficult part begins, John. We then have to somehow win the peace."
"The pessimist is speaking now, Your Majesty."
"It's the pragmatist speaking. It won't be easy and I'll suggest why if I may."
"Go ahead, Bob."
"Right at the very beginning there are two very different possibilities. The first is what we have discussed many times. Hitler orders the remilitarization of the Rhineland and we respond as planned. The Wehrmacht then disposes of Hitler and his gang. As PM Daladier said yesterday we shall technically be at war with Germany even if no shots were fired. But it's back to 1919 again. The Germans will quite rightly consider that they haven't been defeated and any terms against Germany, harsh or not, will create resentment again. Does it sound familiar? The second possibility which hasn't been considered is the following. Hitler gives the order but the Wehrmacht refuses the order and disposes of Hitler without violating the Locarno Treaties. What then? Like I said we have two very different situations."
"And both are very complicated and both could trigger a civil war in Germany."
"Exactly, Your Majesty. Our planned Versailles meeting will be no picnic. That brings us to the next major crossroad. Civil war or a peaceful transition? After that, if there is a civil war do we get involved or not and there we can only get involved if they request it."
"There is no easy solution is there?"
"No. There isn't one, John. Even in the best scenario. No infringement of Locarno and no civil war. The new government will still want the Rhineland, a solution for Danzig and then there's the question of Sudetenland."
"That's not a very rosy picture you are painting, Sir Robert," the Belgian Defence Minister commented.
"It isn't and we haven't even mentioned the Soviet Union yet. That's why our goal in Versailles must be to gain Germany as a partner against the even bigger threat in the East. Any other outcome will change nothing. We shall be back to square one."
"Can you put your thoughts on paper, Bob? We need to discuss this with Winston and Anthony Eden."
"I'll work on it tomorrow. There is one more thing to consider. Smaller nations, and that includes Belgium and Holland, don't need to be at the table when we meet a German delegation. You'll have to trust that Britain and France will look after your interests. Let's be honest. If there has been no fighting there will be nothing for Belgium to negotiate. Your interests will be discussed and incorporated during the talks in Versailles."
"That is a premature thought, Bob."
"No, General Gort. He is right. Our prime interest is peace and security. We have common interests there." The King continued, "Belgium will support any policy which preserves the peace on our borders. We have no desire for territorial gains. We would however expect to be treated as an equal in a post-treaty western Europe."
"We would welcome that," Edward responded. "What if they remove Hitler after we have responded and after they have violated the Locarno Treaties. We've never really discussed that have we, Bob?"
"No, we haven't. That's why I asked Winston to discuss it yesterday evening. If there is a civil war then we should only prevent the SS from winning. Otherwise I recommend we stay out of the conflict unless it's on our front doorstep. That might change things. A peaceful transition would require a firm response from us. The ugly German aggressor is here again and we don't reward an aggressor by giving them the Rhineland, Danzig or Sudetenland. In November we told the Germans in very clear terms that any change can only happen at the negotiating table. March in to the Rhineland or attack a neighbour and that's it. So if the Germans do march into the Rhineland it won't be just Hitler and his cronies calling our bluff, the Wehrmacht will be doing it too. In this scenario Germany has no place demanding anything and the quicker they realize it the better."
"Or?"
"That's what we have to discuss in Versailles. That's the easiest scenario. Germany is the aggressor and we are the vaincqueurs. All we need is a just peace treaty."
"You make it sound so simple."
"In principle it is, John. Let us young ones take care of it. It's our future and that of our children. Your generation had your chance and look where we are. Your children are going to war again. I don't want that for my children."
"I recommend that you don't put those thoughts on paper, Bob."
"That really is too premature. I have to go. It'll be a long day tomorrow."
"What time is convenient for you tomorrow morning?"
"If you like coffee and cakes then after 9 o'clock, GMT! It's been a pleasure, Your Majesty."
"Let's walk together. My car is parked outside your house."
"Indeed it is. Goodnight all."
"That's how we capture Fort Eben-Emael within 15 minutes. We land on the roof and use more airborne troops to capture the three nearby bridges. Then we hold out until the armoured spearhead links up. You have no defences at the moment, Your Majesty."
"I presume you also have a defence plan."
"Indeed we do. We seemingly do nothing but at night we turn it into a death trap for any attacking force. Let them believe it's still undefended and their airborne spearhead will be annihilated which in turn would severely upset their strategy. We also have plans for the bridges."
"Do you share their view, General van Overstraeten?"
"I do, Your Majesty. The fort is wide open to an attack."
"Then I'll expect you to remedy that when you return. I've seen enough General Gort. Now where is this club of yours? I wish to buy the first round. Madame Stella, may I offer you a ride in my limousine? I presume you know the way." I'll have to have a chat with my Mum. First Wilhelm Canaris and now King Leopold. When we arrived at the hotel they weren't there. I found out later that Mum had suggested they park the limousine at our house then she invited the group in for a cup of tea. They finally arrived and the King was smiling. "Your mother is quite a lady and she is very proud of you. So which beer do you recommend?"
"My favourite is White Shield. I'm sure you'll appreciate it, Sir." We stayed a while in the saloon bar then retired to the private restaurant reserved for hotel guests only. Many of our TRADOC personnel had travelled home for the Christmas holidays so only a couple of people were present.
"I believe it was a very constructive weekend, Your Majesty. Do you share that view?" John Gort asked.
"I do and to be honest I didn't realize how advanced your plans are."
"We've had some difficulties convincing others that Hitler can be toppled without a shot being fired. There are many people in Britain who don't want to risk an all-out war with Germany."
"We have managed to allay those fears though," I added. "Even if fighting were to break out it wouldn't be a repetition of the last war."
"Germany's fate is sealed if they are foolish enough to break the Locarno Treaties."
"But then the difficult part begins, John. We then have to somehow win the peace."
"The pessimist is speaking now, Your Majesty."
"It's the pragmatist speaking. It won't be easy and I'll suggest why if I may."
"Go ahead, Bob."
"Right at the very beginning there are two very different possibilities. The first is what we have discussed many times. Hitler orders the remilitarization of the Rhineland and we respond as planned. The Wehrmacht then disposes of Hitler and his gang. As PM Daladier said yesterday we shall technically be at war with Germany even if no shots were fired. But it's back to 1919 again. The Germans will quite rightly consider that they haven't been defeated and any terms against Germany, harsh or not, will create resentment again. Does it sound familiar? The second possibility which hasn't been considered is the following. Hitler gives the order but the Wehrmacht refuses the order and disposes of Hitler without violating the Locarno Treaties. What then? Like I said we have two very different situations."
"And both are very complicated and both could trigger a civil war in Germany."
"Exactly, Your Majesty. Our planned Versailles meeting will be no picnic. That brings us to the next major crossroad. Civil war or a peaceful transition? After that, if there is a civil war do we get involved or not and there we can only get involved if they request it."
"There is no easy solution is there?"
"No. There isn't one, John. Even in the best scenario. No infringement of Locarno and no civil war. The new government will still want the Rhineland, a solution for Danzig and then there's the question of Sudetenland."
"That's not a very rosy picture you are painting, Sir Robert," the Belgian Defence Minister commented.
"It isn't and we haven't even mentioned the Soviet Union yet. That's why our goal in Versailles must be to gain Germany as a partner against the even bigger threat in the East. Any other outcome will change nothing. We shall be back to square one."
"Can you put your thoughts on paper, Bob? We need to discuss this with Winston and Anthony Eden."
"I'll work on it tomorrow. There is one more thing to consider. Smaller nations, and that includes Belgium and Holland, don't need to be at the table when we meet a German delegation. You'll have to trust that Britain and France will look after your interests. Let's be honest. If there has been no fighting there will be nothing for Belgium to negotiate. Your interests will be discussed and incorporated during the talks in Versailles."
"That is a premature thought, Bob."
"No, General Gort. He is right. Our prime interest is peace and security. We have common interests there." The King continued, "Belgium will support any policy which preserves the peace on our borders. We have no desire for territorial gains. We would however expect to be treated as an equal in a post-treaty western Europe."
"We would welcome that," Edward responded. "What if they remove Hitler after we have responded and after they have violated the Locarno Treaties. We've never really discussed that have we, Bob?"
"No, we haven't. That's why I asked Winston to discuss it yesterday evening. If there is a civil war then we should only prevent the SS from winning. Otherwise I recommend we stay out of the conflict unless it's on our front doorstep. That might change things. A peaceful transition would require a firm response from us. The ugly German aggressor is here again and we don't reward an aggressor by giving them the Rhineland, Danzig or Sudetenland. In November we told the Germans in very clear terms that any change can only happen at the negotiating table. March in to the Rhineland or attack a neighbour and that's it. So if the Germans do march into the Rhineland it won't be just Hitler and his cronies calling our bluff, the Wehrmacht will be doing it too. In this scenario Germany has no place demanding anything and the quicker they realize it the better."
"Or?"
"That's what we have to discuss in Versailles. That's the easiest scenario. Germany is the aggressor and we are the vaincqueurs. All we need is a just peace treaty."
"You make it sound so simple."
"In principle it is, John. Let us young ones take care of it. It's our future and that of our children. Your generation had your chance and look where we are. Your children are going to war again. I don't want that for my children."
"I recommend that you don't put those thoughts on paper, Bob."
"That really is too premature. I have to go. It'll be a long day tomorrow."
"What time is convenient for you tomorrow morning?"
"If you like coffee and cakes then after 9 o'clock, GMT! It's been a pleasure, Your Majesty."
"Let's walk together. My car is parked outside your house."
"Indeed it is. Goodnight all."